Auxiliary wind electric system for prime movers



Sept. 14, 1943. J. R. ALBERS l 2,329,675

AUXILIARY WIND ELECTRIC SYSTEM FOR PRIME MOVERS Filed Dec. 22, 1941 IN VEN TOR Patented Sept. 14, 1943 AUXILIARY WINDv ELECTRIC SYSTEM FOR PRIME MOVERS "John R. Albers, Sioux City,-Iowa., assignor to Wincharger Corporation, Sioux "City, Iowa, .a corporation of 'Minnesota y @Application December 22, 1941, Serial`No.424,031

5 Claims. My invention Vpertains 'to lwind electricy sys- 'items .'An .object of yrnyinvention is'to provide an .electric plant, `wherein wind is utilized to supply power? to kvbe used to lassist the prime mover and Ain so ldoing to lower operating costs.

Aiurther'obiect oi'myfinvention is to provide `means for transferring electric power generated 4by the windxgeneratorltoa constant speed and at'they same. timeleavng" thewind driven propeller rprime mover free to vary in speed corresponding to the varying Wnd velocities which Iresult in obtaining maximum propeller efficiency.

-A further object of'vrny invention is to provide a flexible arrangement wherein, if desired, a pl rality of tower mounted, ,windedriven' generators can be employed andoperated in a multiple to provide simplified manufactuiingffeatures.

A further object of my invention is to provide in that particular arrangement wherein alternators are employed, 4means for assisting such `alternators lwithout impairing the constant speed `regulating system yof the .prime mover driven alternator.

AWiththese and other objects in View, myfin- `vention consists in the construction, `arrangement, and combinatie-noi the various parts of my device; whereby thev objects contemplated. are attained, -as hereinafter more fully vset forth, pointed out in 'my claims, and'illustrated in the accompanying drawing,A in which:

Figure 1 is a side-elevation showing .a single .tower mounted unit with the prime mover members situated nearby inea power station,y and 'Figure 2 is a diagram of: the electrical connections.

I have used the character I9 to ydesignateian impeller blade structure, having apair of blades positioned radially and attached to ashaft which rotates the arma-ture of an electric generator II,

driven at variable speed by the impeller I0, which generator is attached to a tail vane I2, and which generator is pivotally mounted at I3 to the top of the tower I4.

Positioned either closely to, or in some instances remotely from the tower I 4 is a generating station indicated generally by the character I5, in which is mounted the prime mover units comprising the alternating current, or in some cases direct current generato-r I6 which is driven by a shaft I'I which is coupled directly to 'a steam turbine I8. The shaft I'I continues through the prime mover i8, which may, for example, be a turbine, and is attached to the armature of a further auxiliary motor IS which is mounted on a suitable platiorml. .In those instances wherein .alternating current is used, it is essential to maintain the frequency of the current at a fixed rate,

.andin this instance a governor 2| is attached -to the extremity of the shaft I'I which governor controlsthe input of steam into theturbine I8 directly, according to the speed of the generator I6 so that such'frequency is consistently maintained.

I also contemplate that type of arrangement,

`wherein the turbine I3 is replaced by a .Diesel venginewherein the-'fuel supply is controlled by i the .governor'2 I to maintain the frequency of the current-ata fixed rate. Further elements in the combination. are disclosedin Figure 2 kor in the electricaland wiring diagram, and wherein the .character'22 indicates theleads from the wind driven generators I I which leads 22 pass through the conduit22a, and communicate with the main -leads 23-which are connected to the auxiliary motor I9. It will be understood that onelunit generatorA II can be employed` or more asshown .in Figure 2, .a plurality of units being desirable `in those cases whereinmanufacturing considerations allowyforthe building oi such units 'at :a -lower costin large quantities.` Relays 24 vare inserted ,in the circuit to prevent surges from one unit to the other. `Attached to the leads 23 are vfurther leads 2-5 whichv are attached to a relay-26 vhaving they coil 2l, the core 28, and the contacting armaturei29 which establishes contact at `3l) to the lead -3I which .is attached to the eld .coilsSZ of the motor I9.

The relay 26 is adapted tomaintain contact at a certain predetermined voltage and to open thefield 'circuit 32 lwhen the voltage correspondingly drops in the leads 23. As

vshown in Figure 2 thejgener'ator I6 and its circuits are electrically independent of the balance of the The power outless than, the minimum output requirement of the generator I6 at any stage of its operation. The arrangement functions in the following manner.

It will be noted from Figure 2, that the wind electric units II supply the motor I9 during the required Wind conditions established by the relay 26 up to the maximum power output capacity of the motor IS. As a result, the motor I9 will constantly under such conditions exert torque or driving power to the shaft II thereby aiding the turbine I8, or Diesel engine, which eiect is manifested by reduction in operating costs. When an alternator is used at I6 the governor 2 I, however, will maintain a fixed speed regard,-`

less of the amount of help from the wind driven motor, since the maximum output of the wind motor always is less than the minimum load on the prime mover unit. In those instances when the Wind velocity is insufficient to maintain required minimum voltage the relay 26 will open, thereby opening the eld 32 and de-energizing the motor I9 so'that the armature of the motor will be carried by the turbine I3V and will run freely without load, and also providing the important feature of preventing a reverse current flowing from the motor back to the units il. A standard air brake governor, indicated by the character 34, governs the speed of rotation oi the wind unit and therefore the output therefrom in order to protect the generator I l and propeller lil against damage in excessive winds. An overrunning clutch can be used between the motor and alternator taking place of above mentioned relays if so desired. The e'ect would be the same since it too would prevent reversal of current, and prevent any unnecessary drag on 'the generator.

As a result ci the foregoing arrangement, it will be seen that the primary objectives to provide an auxiliary arrangement for the necessary purposes is attained, without the necessity of using mechanical or other cumbersome arrange ments and yet providing all of the desirable features.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts oi my invening said prime mover and said further generator,

means responsive to generation of electricity by -said wind driven source for connecting said wind driven source and said auxiliary motor to cause power flow to said further generator from said wind driven generatorthrough said motor, wherebythe'actuation thereof provides an added torque to be transmitted from said auxiliary rnotor to said prime mover and said further generator 2. A wind electric system comprising a wind 4 driven generating source, a prime mover, a further generator connected to said prime mover, an auxiliary electric motor for drivingly assisting said prime mover and said further generator, means connecting said Wind driven source and said auxiliary motor to energize 'said motor whereby the actuation thereof Will provide an added torque to be transmitted from said auxiliary motor to said prime mover and said further generator, means for automatically disconnecting said auxiliary motor at a pre-determined low power input thereto.

3. A wind electric system comprising a wind driven generating source, a prime mover, a further generator connected to said prime mover, an auxiliary electric motor for drivingly assisting said prime mover and said further generator means connecting said wind driven `source and said auxiliary motor to energize said motor whereby the actuation thereof will provide an added torque to be transmitted from said auxiliary motor to said prime mover and said further generator, means f-or de-energizing said auxiliary motor at a pre-determined low voltage point, said last means including a relay positioned in the i'leld circuit of sai-d auxiliary motor and operated from said wind driven electric source.

4. A wind electric system comprising a variable speed wind driven generating source, a prime mover, a further generator connected to said prime mover and arranged -to operate at constant speed, an auxiliary electric motor for driving said prime mover and said further generator at such constant speed, means connecting said wind driven source and said auxiliary motor to energize motor upon the generation of power by said variable speed wind driven generating source whereby the actuation thereof will provide an added torque to be transmitted from said auxiliary motor to said prime mover and said further generator, and the variable 'speed generation of power by said wind -driven source does not affect the operation of said further generator at a nxed constant speed.

5. rAn electric generating system comprising a generator driven at variable speed and capable of a correspondingly variable power output, a prime mover, a second generator driven from said prime mover, an electric motor connected to said second generator and prime mover and arranged to assist said prime mover in driving said `second generator, said prime mover being arranged to drive said second generator at Vconstant speed over a substantial range of variable power transfer between a maximum and a minimum power transfer condition between said prime mover and said second generator and means for transferring power to said motor from said variable speed generator during generation of power thereby, Said variable speed generator and said motor having similar power handling capabilities smaller `than the diierence between said maximum and minimum power transfer between said prime mover and said second generator whereby, during conditions of variable power generation by said variable speed generator said prime mover is capable of maintaining and maintains said second generator at constant speed.

JOHN R. ALBERS. 

